Apparatus for annealing glassware



May 22, 192s.

E. O. HILLER APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING GLASSWARE Filed July 1, 1926 Patented May 22, 1928.

PATE nvnnnrm o. HILLER, or HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR To HARTFORD-EMPIRE oFFlc COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

APIBARATUS FOR ANNEALING GLASSWARE.

Application Ied July 1,

This invention'relates Dto apparatus for annealing glassware, andfit has particular 4relation to lehrsof the type embodying a tunnel through which a series of artlclesoi glassware are transported, and in which vthey are annealed by being'subjected to a succession of varying temperature environments in a predetermined order and relation, so as to relieve stresses and strains existing in the ware.

In some installations it has been found that an excessive differential air pressure exists at opposite ends of Ithe lehr tunnel, so as to cause a tendency Jfor air from the outer latmosphere to flow through or into the tun? nel from either thedischarge end `or the receiving' end of the tunnel, and thus to disturb thedesired order `or relation of the thermal conditions within the tunnei.

One of the objects of the present ingention is to eliminate the diiculty above re# ferred to by causing a counteracting current.

of air or other gases to flow in the tunnel in a direction opposite to that of the liow of the current that it is desired to overcome and which, while being of a force and volurne suiicient to counteract' such current,

does not of itself develop a disturbing cur- -rent for any appreciable distance through the tunnel.

Other objects will appear from the fol- -lowing specification and the appended claims. V

'The single figure of the accompanying drawin is a vertical longitudinal sectional View o the discharge end of a lehr embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the invention 1s shown as being embodied in a lehr 'having a tunnel 1 supported upon pedestals 2. The

articles olf-'glassware to be annealed are transported through the tunnel by a conveyor 11 whichis driven by any suitable mechanism, not shown. .One or more heating liues 3 extendlongitudinally below the tunnel and aresuppliedgwith heated gases from adire box, notishown. One or more cooling iues 4 also extend longitudmally above-the tunnel, the air entering these iiues at 5. The hotgases and the cooling air are both drawn through their respective iues 3 and 4by a motor-driven fan 6. This a-n communicates with the heating lues 3 through aV damper-controlled duct 7 and 192e. serial No. 119,891.

through conduits 7, which extend vertically one at each side of the tunnel, and the fan also communicates with the cooling iues 4 @through damper-controlled pipes 8 and a wind pipe 9. The hot gases and cooling air, after'passing the fan 6, enter al stack 10.

4The structure with Which the'present invention is particularly concerned includes a hood or casing 12 which is disposed adjacent to the discharge end of the tunnel and constitutes a prolongation thereof.' 4The stack 10 communicates with this casing through a pipe 13 and through a plurality of nozzles 14 and 15 which are inclined in opposite directions longitudinally of the tiinnele- A valve pr damper' 16 is provided in the lower portion of the pipe 13 "between the nozzles 14 and 15 and may be swungby means of av handle 18, on its edges 17 or Aon any suitable hinge, between the' full-line and dotted-line positions indicated in the drawing,` in order to closev one of the nozzles 14, 15 and open the other, so as'to direct a current of gases from the stack 10 either in the direction of movement of the ware through the tunnel or yin `the opposite direction. The cross-sectional area of eithr of the nozzles'14, 15 may be varied by adjusting one of its walls as show'n' at 19 by means of a link connection 20.

Avalve or Adamper 21 is provided in the vso as to direct a regulable quantity of the gases from the stack 10 through the nozzle 14 into the tunnelin a direction toward the receiving end,'so as to counteract the tend'- ency of the air toenter the receiving end.

Conversely, if there is -a tendency for air from the outer atmosphere to iow into the discharge end of the tunnel to "an injurious' extent, the valve 16 may be moved to the po sition' indicatedby dotted lines in the drawing, so as to direct the gases from the stack 10 through the nozzle 15 into the tunnel extension 12 vand toward the discharge end of said tunnel, and

the tunnel, so as to counteract the tendency for air to enter the discharge end of the at a suitable temperature being derived from any convenient available source.

While I have shown and described the invention as being applied at the discharge end of the tunnel, where the ware has passed the critical stages of its annealing, it will be understood that, unde-r .some conditions, it` a draftv may be found desirable to provide counteracting current, such as that described, at the entrance end of thetunnel. In this and in other respects the invention. may be modified in construction, arrangement and mode of operation, without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an annealing tunnel, means for directing a current of gaseous medium into means for reversing the direction of flow ot' Said current longitudinally of said tunnel to counteract other currents of air tending to enter the tunnel by reason of a diferential atmospheric pressure at opposite ends of said tunnel.

2. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising a tunnel, means for transporting articles of glassware therethrough, means `for directing a current of gaseous medium into said tunnel, and means for selectively causing said gaseous medium to flow in opposite directions in said tunnel.

Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising a tunnel, means for transporting articles of glass therethrough, means for directing a current of gaseous medium into said tunnel, and means for selectively causing said gaseous medium to ow in the same or in an opposite direction with respect to that of the movement ofthe ware through said tunnel.

4. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising a tunnel, a flue associated with said tunnel, means for causing a temperature-controlling medium to fiow through said flue, means for transporting articles of glassware through said tunnel, means for directing a portion of said temperature-controlling medium into said tunnel, and means for shifting the medium longitudinally of said tunnel.

direction of flow of said.

5. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising a tunnel, a flue associated with said tunnel, means for causing a heating medium to low through said flue, means or transporting articles of glassware vthrough said tunnel, means for directmg'a portion of said heating medium intoV said tunnel, and means for shifting the direction of iow oflsaid medium longitudinally of said tunne A 6'. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising a tunnel, a iue associated' with said tunnel, means for causing a cooling medium to flow through said flue, means for transporting articles4 of glassware through said tunnel, means for directing Ia portion of said cooling medium in'to said tunnel, and means for shifting .the direction of flow of said medium longitudinally of said tunnel.

7. Apparatus for annealin glassware, comprising a tunnel, a plura ity of lues associated with said tunnel, means for causing a heating medium to flow through one of said ues and a cooling medium to flow through another of said flues, means for transporting articles of glassware through said tunnel, means for directing a portion of said media into said tunnel, and means for shifting thev direction of ilow of said media longitudinally ofsaid tunnel.

8. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising a tunnel, means for transporting articles of glassware therethrough, a casing disposed at the discharge end of said tunnel and forming a prolongation thereof, a. nozzle for projecting a current of gaseous medium kinto said caslng, and means for Varying the for annealing glassware,

a Hue associated with p said flue, a stack communicating with said ilue, means for transporting articles o f glassware through said tunnel, a c asing dlsposed at the discharge end of said tunnel and forming a prolongation thereof, a, pluralityizo' of oppositely-directed nozzles communicating with said casing, a pipe for establishing communication between said stack and said nozzles, and means for selectively directing a portion of the gaseous medium passing through said stack through one or the other of said nozzles.

1 1. In combination with a tunnel lehr, a

llo

conduit means disposed adjacent to the out- 13. Apparatus for annealing glassware let end of the lehr, blower means connected comprising a tunnel, means located adjacent therewith and arranged so as'to cause a flow to one end thereof for causing a draft of air through the conduit and longitudinalthrough said tunnel longitudinally thereof, 5 ly of said tunnel, and means for reversing and means for reversing the direction of said 15 the direction of flow of the air in said tunnel. draft.

12. Apparatus for annealing. glassware Signed at Hartford, Conn., this 29th day comprising a tunnel, and means for selecof June, 1926.

tively producing a draft longitudinally in 10 said tunnel in either direction.' EVERETT O. HILLER. 

